Life is unconventionally busy and hardly do we find our me time. The gutsy schedule keeps us packed throughout the day, and as soon as we step in our houses, most of us would catch a quick meal and stick to the digital world for thrilling over a match or binge-watching a web series. A habit that we all are addicted to. However, do you think this is kind of healthy?
You spend a significant part of your day working with minimal or rather zero activity that would enhance your knowledge. We all have a role model who we epitomize or follow but have you ever wondered what the habits that set you apart from them? Do they have superpowers?
No!
They READ.
One of the most impeccable habits every successful entrepreneur, rather successful people, have is the habit of reading. Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, etc. are some of the well-known names to fall in the list. They might have a very busy and a tedious day, yet they have a part of the day dedicated to reading.
The subtle difference of thoughts
A well-known researcher by the name of “Thomas Corley” post his research on 200 millionaires and multi-millionaires and found some interesting facts.
He revealed that around 86% of them have the habit of reading and by reading he meant learning or gaining knowledge not entertainment. You always need not own a book to read, the successful people do not lay excuses but find opportunities. Every second matter. Be it the time they spend while commuting or waiting before a meeting they choose to read. Audiobooks are the companion everywhere. You think, they act.
As said by Chonce Maddox, ‘ On an average, a successful person read at least two books per month.’ And it is a secret unveiled long before. Reading could be anything- from books to news, articles to blogs, knowledge has no boundaries and so does learning.
You might be a traveler, opt for podcasts or audiobooks. It’s not an opportunity to seek but to grab. If you keep waiting for the right time, you will never ever find one. Use every jiffy of your free time to be productive.
Nobody is free; everyone has their commitments pre-planned. Office, friends, family, everything requires time and amidst all of this, finding a separate time to sit back to read might sound weird. You might have a plethora of things to do throughout the day but if the busiest person Barack Obama could stop to read, then why can’t you?
Success is not a one day task or a moment’s joy. It takes myriads of failure and a pool of knowledge to move. You need to learn to learn. All the great and the successful people are voracious readers. They are bookworms!
Do you think they are too free to read? Or is that they follow some crazy technique or magic trick to do so? Well, for your knowledge they all follow the five-hour rule.
Breaking Boundaries – The Rule that sets you apart from all
The founder of Impact, Michael Simoons, is the mind behind the concept of five-hour rule. The rule coins merely a trait followed by all the success enthusiast. No matter what they do or how occupied they stay throughout the day, they keep aside at least five hours a week of their entire life to do activities that induce learning.
In short, ‘ Investment in knowledge gives the best return.’
Famous entrepreneur Ben Clarke used to spend the around 2hrs of his time reading and learning for five years of his life. After the birth of his daughter, he had to replace that time with the father-daughter time, but he brought his change wisely. He decided to lessen his reading time and manage both activities within the same duration. He could have left reading, but that’s what segregates him from others.
A matter of choice and choosing things rightly. At a point of time where most of us would have left reading, he opted to add an activity instead of replacing. Keeping aside an hour of the day might lower your income but that would unmistakably have you outgrow regarding knowledge and would benefit you in the long term.
Three Step Ritual
The epic five-hour rule is bucketed into three major segments which most of the successful entrepreneur follow:
- Read: Instead of spending hours texting or playing or merely surfing your smart gadget, choose to read. Start with 20-30 minutes a day. Optimize your day and whenever you find a free time, read. Reading is no more an option rather a way to grow each day, bit by bit, stacking a pile of knowledge. Reading is an investment you choose to do for yourself. Myriad of a millionaire is found reading. Elon Musk considers reading the reason for his success in building rockets. Jack Ma states reading is one such activity that could recharge you to head start your day positively.
- Reflect: Until and unless you think upon what you have and further action, the knowledge goes in vain. Gathering the points you have gone through this morning or giving a thought at what you have read could help you reflect. Mistakes teach you to cover up and rectify your wrong whereas victory guides to move forward. Assessing yourself is the best way to improve. Indulge in self-conversation, always question yourself. Why? What benefit would an activity have? You need to think, have your mind not just function but act.
- Experiment: Innovation is the result of thought into action. Until and unless you act or try, never believe it. An experiment is the result of fact and not an assumption. Great leaders and inventors such as Ben Franklin and Elon Musk have successful inventions due to experiments. You might fail, but that is the step for trying again. Learning from them and use the feedback to restart. Experimenting is an application of knowledge gained.
Success is not regarding money, but productivity and reading is one habit that could help you grow your way.
